


The Orpheus Who Won

by Haza_Souz



Series: Shining, Shimmering, Loving [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), don't at me i was jsut feeling a Lot of things after the castrum quest line, dont spoil pls ive only jsut beaten cape westwind trial, my WoL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 07:51:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20579048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haza_Souz/pseuds/Haza_Souz
Summary: [SPOILERS up to near the end of the Seventh Umbral Era questline.]The weight of the world crushes the Warrior of Light, and Minfilia swears she will not carry it alone.





	The Orpheus Who Won

_You shouldn't have come here!_

Asch leaned against the Enterprise's railing, sitting on the deck, head hanging; the airship still wavered in its path, Ultima Weapon's blow having dealt it a bitter blow. Cid would not let them crash, she knew it. A movement drew her eye, and she twitched lightly - it was only Minfilia, coming to sit before her.

The leader of the Scions opened her mouth, but Asch cut her off. "Sorry. I know it was risky, and we spent a lot of time getting the disguises, an-and then the magitek armour..."

Minfilia sat down, elbows resting on her knees; Asch's voice faded away as she looked into her eyes, and suddenly, the weight of weeks crashed down on her. It must have looked bad.

"I... only worry for you."

The white mage's head jerked up again. Minfilia formed each word in her mouth before saying it, as if shaping the meanings step by step, speaking gently when the interrogations had left her social being a raw mess.

"I thought I was dead. Livia killed me that day, in Waking Sands, and Castrum was just a long, painful hell in advance. I didn't say anything." Minfilia smiled, and the joy didn't touch her face. "At least, if I kept quiet... you and Alphinaud wouldn't die as well. I didn't even care if you kept fighting, or went into hiding-"

She stopped; Asch's lower lip was trembling, and she was shaking very gently. The leader reached out, laying a single hand on Asch's knee, and tear-brimmed eyes flicked to it; she sniffed. Minfilia looked at her, really, for the first time in ages - those were a White Mage's robes. Papalymo had never cast spells like those, in all the time she'd known him. A sparkling, deadly star of light exploding to stun a wave of Imperials, an aura of quickening that blurred words together to cast faster, a wave of healing magic so strong Minfilia had felt healthier than ever...

Minfilia swallowed, tears threatening to spill over now that she was allowed to be weak again, even as Asch wiped her own eyes. On some logical, abstract level, she knew she had no blame in the downfall of the Scions, but her heart ached for forcing Asch to grow up so much, so fast. She was still young, without the scarred hearts of some of Minfilia's older friends, and yet so powerful.

"Oh, Asch," she whispered - that was too much. Her voice was tearful and clogged, and Asch got up in one motion, leaning forwards and half-tackling Minfilia to the floor of the airship, arms clinging tightly around her. Faintly, she felt tears seep into her shoulder, and then Minfilia hugged her back; reassuring with her body language where her words couldn't come.

"It's going to be all right. I promise," Minfilia murmured, and turned her head, brushing her lips against Asch's cheek in a little gesture of... of what, she didn't know. There wasn't a word that seemed to put all her feelings into one safe, stable package. She wanted to protect Asch, guide her, care for her, be happy with her, trust her, and learn from her.

She settled for stroking the back of Asch's head, as the Warrior of Light spilled tears of relief, worry, exhaustion, and many more things onto her shoulder. Minfilia looked sideways, at the white hair, messed from the long fight, and then up at the night sky's stars.

Maybe one day, she and Asch could find a word that described them and how they felt for each other. Whatever and whenever... it would be together.


End file.
